Tennis sensation Coco Gauff has shared her plans for a “super competitive” summer activity with her mystery boyfriend, as they aim to push each other in a competition off the court.

The 20-year-old American, who is preparing for Wimbledon next month after a successful run at the 2023 US Open, spoke about the competitive edge during a recent interview at the German Open in Berlin.

Despite having had trouble progressing beyond round four at the Championships, the world’s No. 2 positioned herself for success with determination fuelled by her relationship.

The couple plan to indulge in Gauff’s childhood hobby of reading, with their competitive streak turning it into a spirited contest. “It started because I loved reading as a kid and I kind of lost it when I got older,” she explained.

“So at first my goal was to read 12 books, one per month. Then my boyfriend has this thing where he reads the amount of books as the year we’re in, so 24 in 2024, 23 in 2023.

Gauff decided to up the ante upon hearing his goal of 24 books this year. She said: “So when he said he was going to read 24, I got super competitive and I doubled my goal to match his and I like trying to finish faster than him. I’m two books ahead, so I’m winning right now.”

Highlights from her reading list include titles such as ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid; ‘The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness’ by Michelle Alexander; ‘After Dark’ by Haruki Murakami; and Viola Davis’ memoir, ‘Finding Me’.

Details about American tennis prodigy Coco Gauff’s boyfriend are sparse, other than he goes by the name Jalen Sera and hails from Atlanta.

In an interview with Time magazine, she opened up about dating him for approximately a year, stating: “This is my first real relationship. To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective.”

Gauff also revealed her beau had been given the green light from her mother Candi, on account of his educational achievements and his kind-hearted nature. “My mom always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad adults,” claimed Candi, as reported by Time. “He’s always been a smart, nice kid.”

Regardless, the rising sporting star has no immediate intentions to cohabitate with her boyfriend, asserting she’s content residing at home with her parents for now. “I don’t have a timeline on that, I always say it’ll happen in my 20s at some point,” she added.